briciole

pear tart / crostata di pere

jump to Recipe the simple elegance of a crostata always wins at the table (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) The current Cook the Books Club selection is Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber.1 On her website, the author explains: The inspiration for this novel came years ago in a song. After hearing the Beatles' "Blackbird" for the first time, it haunted me... I was captivated with the concept of broken wings and how emotional wounds can keep many from being able to metaphorically fly... Blackbird research led me quickly to the Song of Sixpence with its “four and... Read more →

chia pudding with blueberries / budino ai semi di chia con mirtilli

breakfast treat or dessert? The novel Winter Cottage by Mary Ellen Taylor is set in Cape Hudson, a coastal town in Virginia. I have never visited that part of the US, so reading descriptions of the landscape was one of the book's attractions. I also liked how the three connected stories unfolded chapter by chapter. In the present, Lucy Kincaid, still grieving for the recent death of her mother, Beth, inherits Winter Cottage and upon arriving discovers that it is actually a mansion. In a relatively recent past, Beth, then a senior in high school, interviews Mrs. Buchanan, the owner and... Read more →

fruit salad with fresh dates / macedonia di frutta con datteri freschi

fruit fresh from the farmers market makes a great post-run salad (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) The story told by Daniel Stone in his book The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats1 is fascinating, at times riveting, and I found myself staying up late some evenings to read what would happen next. Before reading the book, I didn't know who David Fairchild was. Also, I didn't know who Frank Meyer was, though I am a great fan of the Meyer lemon, named after him; had never read the full story behind the... Read more →

pan-fried banana with macadamia nuts / banana in padella e noci di macadamia

crunchy, soft and sweet I read the novel Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers1 by Sara Ackerman, the current selection of the Cook the Books club, in just a few days: the story is interesting, at the level both of the individual characters and of the historical background. To the tragedies of World War II and of the internment of Japanese-Americans, the novel, set on the Big Island of Hawaii, adds the personal tragedies of Violet, whose husband disappeared a year before the story starts, and of their daughter, Ella, whose distress hints at a devastating secret she cannot share. The... Read more →

apple tart / crostata di mele

a personal take on an Italian classic Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy, the current selection of our Cook the Books Club, is a well-known children's book in the US. It was an interesting read, giving me a glimpse into some of the literature people my age were exposed to during their childhood and a view into rural life and related activities in an age and place quite removed from mine. For Almanzo and his family the year was marked by the seasonal work they did, and that work is described in detail by Ingalls Wilder. There is also moral content, mostly... Read more →

blueberry varenyky / varenyky con ripieno di mirtilli

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] making blueberry varenyky In our World Culinary ABC1 we have arrived in Ukraine (Ucraina), represented by the port city of Odessa. By a series of coincidences, my husband and I recently hiked to, and spent a night at, Odessa Lake2 in Rocky Mountain National Park3. So, while I have no personal images of Odessa to share, I can show you how beautiful Odessa Lake is. arriving at Odessa Lake Odessa Lake and Notchtop Mountain in the evening To celebrate our virtual visit to Ukraine, I chose to make my version of blueberry... Read more →

cocoa tagliatelle with ricotta, raspberry coulis and chocolate sauce / tagliatelle al cacao con ricotta, salsa di lamponi e salsa di cioccolato

pasta for dessert Author Patricia V. Davis is writing a trilogy set on the Queen Mary1, the retired ocean liner moored in the harbor of Long Beach, CA. In anticipation of the first book of The Secret Spice Cafe Trilogy2, titled Cooking for Ghosts and Lost Lovers, Patricia has launched a contest that runs until August 15. The idea is to prepare a personal interpretation of one of two dishes that appear in the book: Cristiano's Spiced Shrimp Rohini or Angela's Raspberry Chocolate Truffle Tarts. I thought about various ways of deconstructing the dessert and created this recipe. If I were... Read more →

Minneapolis and a recipe for aebleskiver / Minneapolis e una ricetta per aebleskiver

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] aebleskiver, why haven't I met you before? The thirteenth stop of our World Culinary ABC1 , which I am hosting, is the United States (Stati Uniti), my adoptive country. The city chosen to represent the US is Minneapolis, the largest city of the state of Minnesota.2 Together with the state capital, Saint Paul, Minneapolis forms the metropolitan area called the Twin Cities. google map of Minneapolis I have been to Minneapolis a few times, as my husband has friends there (all my visits occurred in the summer: winter in the Twin Cities... Read more →

crostata di arance / orange tart

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] a flavorful flower (place mat from La FABBRICA del LINO) Cara Cara oranges1 from the farmers' market and an invitation to a potluck inspired this crostata. The success led to encores. Citrus season (la stagione degli agrumi) is the perfect time to make this tart, which brings the sun to your table, regardless of what the thermometer says. Choose sweet, flavorful oranges. Their juicy freshness contrasts the buttery crust. The peach preserves offers another layer of flavor and texture. There is enough sweetness to please the palate without overwhelming it. In the... Read more →

grunt ai frutti bosco / berry grunt

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] version with raspberries served with homemade vanilla ice cream (napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO, Seta decor collection) The fifth stop of our World Culinary ABC is Canada and finally I can say: I've been there — though my visit was limited to a few days in Toronto for a conference. The dish I chose to celebrate our virtual visit comes from the eastern part of Canada and New England. It is called grunt or slump, depending on the area, and is similar to the cobbler, but cooked on the stove rather... Read more →